A touring photography exhibition which aims to help people recognise the signs of slavery is coming to Norwich this weekend.

Photos from the Invisible People exhibition. Picture National Crime Agency.

‘Invisible People’ is part of the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) campaign to raise awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking across the country.

Slavery was abolished in the UK in 1807 but more than 200 years on it still exists and affects some of the most vulnerable men, women and children.

The NCA has teamed up with photographers including Juliette Carton, Haitham Naser and award-winning Rory Carnegie to recreate the lives of these ‘invisible people’ and bring them into view as part of the exhibition.

The aim of the images is to encourage the public to truly see what they may have been looking at for years.

Photographer Rory Carnegie said: “What I found initially so complicated was how to visually define and illustrate certain aspects of modern slavery. “For example, when one sees a picture of a young man or woman picking fruit or working in the fields, they will appear to the viewer exactly that, and not necessarily a victim of modern slavery.

“That image in itself does not explain the disgusting living conditions, the absence of pay and the other iniquitous and evil aspects of modern slavery. These victims might not living in chains, but they are living amongst us.”

The free exhibition can be viewed on Hayhill this weekend and it will start a nationwide tour in 2018, visiting public spaces in cities around the UK.

Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer, national policing lead for modern slavery, said he hopes the exhibition helps raise vital awareness about these crimes.

“The inhumanity demonstrated by offenders of this crime is far greater than I have seen in my entire career tackling organised crime and terrorism,” he said. “Modern slavery is an incredibly complex crime to unravel and it is vital that we increase the eyes and ears capable of recognising the signs of symptoms. This visual impact of this exhibition will provide a powerful illustration of modern slavery, which I am sure will assist in raising awareness of this abhorrent crime and lead to increased reporting.”